THEOSISEpiphanius of Cyprus
Without understanding fully, they detest a deceased person, while themselves being spiritually dead in their actions. However, there are numerous testimonies indicating that the law conveyed this symbolism, and not because one should be reviled simply for being dead. Indeed, it is not just a handful of witnesses that affirm these truths, but rather six hundred and twenty thousand in the desert, along with over a thousand other witnesses, and even more at the burial (Genesis 50:26, Exodus 13:19) of Joseph, whose remains were transported by a whole company for forty years, and yet none were made unclean by it. The law accurately states that if a person touches a corpse, they remain unclean until evening (Num. 19:19) and must be cleansed with water to regain purity.
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This is said in a deeper sense regarding the death of our Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh. The term "the" signifies a specific identity; when this definite article is used, it indicates a clear reference to a particular subject, whereas without it, the reference is more ambiguous. For instance, when we mention "king" (βασιλεύς), we indicate a title but do not specify which king: it could refer to the king of the Persians, Medes, or Elamites. In contrast, saying "the king" (ὁ βασιλεύς) clarifies exactly whom we are discussing. Similarly, without the definite article, if we mention "God," we could mean any deity, be it false or true. But if we say "the God" (ὁ Θεὸς), it is clear we are speaking of the one true and knowable God. This distinction also applies similarly when referring to "man" (ἄνϑρωπος) versus "the man" (ὁ ἄνϑρωπος). If the law had simply stated, "If you touch a corpse" (νεϰροῦ), without the article, it would apply to all deceased individuals. However, when it specifies "If any man touches the corpse" (τοῦ νεϰροῦ), it refers to one particular individual, namely, the Lord, as I have previously indicated. The law speaks symbolically of those who would lay hands on Christ and bring Him to the cross; they required purification until the dawn of a new light would illuminate them through the waters of baptism. My assertion aligns with the words of Peter, who, addressing the Israelites in Jerusalem when they inquired about what to do, replied that they should repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and their sins would be forgiven, granting them the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:36-38). Thus, the law does not refer to just any deceased individual in general. When the law indicates a specific corpse, it phrases itself differently, saying, "If a corpse passes by" (νεϰρὸς), close your doors and windows to avoid defilement, which indicates avoiding sinful thoughts and actions; guard your eyes from lust, your mouth from speaking ill, and your ears from evil speech, lest your entire being, encompassing both soul and body, face death. This is why the prophet noted, "If death enters through the windows" (Jeremiah 9:21). Clearly, he does not refer to actual windows of homes; otherwise, those constructed windows would prevent our mortality. Instead, the windows symbolize our physical senses — sight, hearing, and others — through which death can enter if we sin. Additionally, Joseph interred Israel without feeling shame, and after Israel’s passing, he fell upon him and embraced him (Gen. 50:1); it is not recorded that he cleansed himself for this act. As tradition holds, the angels buried the body of the holy Moses without needing to purify themselves, showing that they remained undefiled by that sacred body.